Echo and Narcissus
by SilentOne02
Summary: This is a short one shot about Echo breaking Narcissus's curse.


**Hello! Okay, so I have to say something about rights, right? Well, I don't own the Heroes of Olympus series. There, I did what was right, now READ!**

 _I came back for a second chance,_ Echo reminded herself. _I am going to save Narcissus_ _from himself. This time, I will not fail._ Echo sighed. Yes, it would be easier than last time, since Narcissus's Celestial bronze mirror was stolen, but she was still doubtful. She didn't save him last time, how could she save him now? But Echo was determined, more so than she was four thousand years ago.

Walking into the group of giggling nymphs, all who were staring at Narcissus staring at himself crying in the little hand mirror Leo had left behind, she headed for Cleopeia. The rock nymph was how Echo used to be, always gossiping. And if Echo knew anything about gossips, it was that they loved spreading rumors. It would be hard to get Cleopeia to understand what Echo was trying to say, seeing as Echo could only repeat what others said, but she would understand eventually.

Echo didn't even have to tap on Cleopeia's shoulder, the nymph spotted her immediately. She glared at Echo before asking, "What are you doing here?"

In return, Echo said, "Here," and pointed to Cleopeia. Hopefully, she would get that Echo wanted to speak with her. Unfortunately, the rock nymph didn't.

"Ha! This is my spot Echo. I won't give up my view of Narcissus just because you think you are more worthy of him. Now go away, I don't want to talk to you."

"Talk to you." Echo pointed at the nymph. She seemed to do that a lot to help people understand her. Point. It worked, at least this time, because Cleopeia looked curious. And, if Echo was seeing correctly, some what hungry for news.

Still, Cleopeia didn't start gossiping quite yet, and instead asked, "You want to talk with me?"

Echo confirmed, repeating, "Talk with me." Echo was a bit surprised at how firm her voice sounded. Yet, playing into the role of her trying to act innocent, a bit uncertain. Perfect. She wanted to get the other nymphs away, and in order to do that, she need them to have Narcissus promise them something.

For instance, if she said she knew where another piece of Celestial bronze was to Cleopeia, the rock nymph might spread the word to others. It was a possibility that Narcissus could over hear them, and tell them to go find it for him. Of course, he might promise a kiss for the nymph who found it for him. This will cause the others to try to find it franticly, leaving Narcissus and Echo alone.

"Okay, Echo. What do you want to talk about? Oh, my! What a silly question, I know what you want to talk about. Narcissus. Even when he is mourning he is hot, don't you think? I can't believe those _demigods_ stole his mirror. Now he might run away. Think of how dreadful that would be. We would have nobody to stare at all day. It is such a shame that no one knows where more Celestial bronze is."

Echo was so happy, when she repeated, "Knows where more Celestial bronze is," and pointed to herself. Her voice was full of pride. Her plan was going to work! She _could_ and _would_ save Narcissus from himself. Even if he didn't love her, and went of with some nymph that wasn't her, Echo would be fine. She loved him, not because of his beauty, but because he was funny and nice and generally cared for what was right. At least he was, before he got cursed to fall in love with himself. She just wanted him to be happy, and not ' _happy'_ like he was when staring at himself.

Cleopeia's eyes light up. "You know where some is? Oh my gods, you have to tell me."

She waited for Echo to tell her where it was, but all Echo said was, "Tell me." It took awhile, but Cleopeia started listing of random places. Echo shook her head (though she still had to say everything Cleopeia was) until one place came up. The Great Salt Lake. It wasn't to far from where they were, and the nymphs had just been there.

Cleopeia looked skeptical. "We just were there they didn't drop it."

"They didn't drop it," Echo confirmed. She could see Cleopeia was struggling, wondering what to say so she could better understand where it was. Sometimes Echo felt bad for the younger nymph. She was so smart, sometimes, yet she spent all her time gossiping. Just like Echo had use to.

"Is it at the far end of the lake?" Cleopeia asked. Then, thinking Echo was dumb, added, "The end we didn't get to?"

"Didn't get to."

"Is it in the water or on the ground?"

"Water or on the ground." Echo said this with a shrug, saying she didn't know.

"Is it buried?"

"Buried."

Cleopeia squealed, and then ran off to the other nymphs. Echo could hear them, and so she had to say the last thing of everything they did. She did this quietly, under her breath. She didn't want to bring any attention to herself. Luckily, Cleopeia wasn't mentioning finding out where more Celestial bronze was from Echo. She made it seem like the demigods knew there was Celestial bronze elsewhere, and they just wanted to see Narcissus and the nymphs in pain. Echo had to admit, Cleopeia was an amazing lair.

It didn't take long before Narcissus heard the news. He was gazing in the hand-held mirror saying how he looked so good crying, when his head suddenly snapped up. Echo knew he wouldn't look for it himself, he didn't want to leave his reflection behind, so she wasn't surprised when he said that the nymphs should go look for it. Instead of just promising a kiss, he promised to take whoever gave him the Celestial bronze on a date. The nymphs left immediately, running and tripping over one another.

When everyone was gone but Echo and Narcissus, Echo walked over and sat by him. He didn't so much as look her way. She didn't let this get her down, though. She just needed him to say something. Narcissus was gazing into his reflection, still crying ever so slightly, when he said, "There is no one as beautiful as I."

Echo smiled as she said, "No one as beautiful as I."

Startled, Narcissus looked up at her. He didn't seem to have too much difficulty seeing her, though his eyes weren't that focused. The look on his face couldn't be put into words. It was as if someone had just yelled, "Guess what? Hera had a child, and the father wasn't Zeus," and "Lets go jump into Tartarus, it seems fun!"

Echo wanted to laugh, but didn't. Instead, she looked Narcissus in the eye and smiled.

"How dare you? You cannot possible be as handsome as me. I-I rival Aphrodite in beauty."

Echo smiled bigger than before and said, "I rival Aphrodite in beauty," a slight laugh in her voice. He would probably say things that would just get him to hate Echo even more, but that was the first step. To get him to pay attention to someone besides himself.

"No, you don't. I do! I am the most beautiful thing on this planet. Narcissus is beauty."

Echo's smiled wavered, but she mumbled, "Narcissus is beauty."

She hoped he wouldn't hear her, but she wasn't that lucky. He smiled, a glint in his eyes. Echo stared, not smiling at all, though she should have been. There was a glint in his eyes, a glint! He hadn't looked like that since before the curse. Echo was so stunned she didn't know he had been talking to her until she said, "See, I am beauty."

Narcissus looked frustrated. That was good, he was showing more emotions. "No, no, no. Don't you see? I am the most handsome being ever to walk this Earth. Nothing could take away my beauty. Being thrown off Mount Olympus, being punched in the face, it would not work. My beauty rules all. My beauty shall never be taken away. Not even by a curse."

Echo sighed, saying dreadfully, " A curse."

"What?"

"What?"

"Uhg! What did you just say? That a curse could ruin me."

"Ruin me."

"Uh? Did a curse ruin you?"

"Ruin you."

At this point, Narcissus looked confused. Carefully, he asked, "A curse ruined both of us, yes?"

Echo was relieved and repeated him, saying, "Yes."

Narcissus looked at her, really looked at her, completely focused. He seemed to be studying her, thinking about _something._ His eyes took in her face, someone who wasn't his reflection, and asked, "What is your name?"

"Name?" Echo wasn't sure what was happening, didn't think he could lose interest in himself so fast. Once again, Narcissus was thinking about something. It seemed like he was trying to find the answer to something. After only a few seconds, a light bulb went off in his head.

"Write it down. I mean, write your name down. Here, in the sand."

Happily, Echo wrote down her name while saying, "In the sand."

For the first time in thousands of years, Narcissus smiled at someone who wasn't himself. It was a pure smile, just for Echo. And so Narcissus and Echo started a conversation. Narcissus was speaking, Echo was writing. When the nymphs came back, crying that they couldn't find any Celestial bronze, the two pay them little attention. Both cursed by goddesses, though one was now cured, happy to be by each other.

 **Hoped you liked it. This idea came over me while rereading the Mark of Athena. I had just gotten done reading about Echo and Narcissus, and well, it led to writing this. Anyhow, bye!**


End file.
